News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[MrPromey]

Please remember the guidelines for this discussion:

To quote the Administrator:
This thread will serve as the ongoing thread for discussion of the attraction retheme. ANY political/social commentary in this thread will be deleted and the poster will be banned from taking any further part.

I will start banning posters from discussion if they cannot follow directions. Fair warning.

Thank you for the reminder.

 

[JoeCamel]

If this is true...

On the one hand, props for not making a book report ride, I guess, but on the other... Seriously?

Of all the attractions to give some sort of serious story beats of consequence to, ones with thrilling, one might say "death defying drops" would sure feel like a prime candidate.

I don't buy them not wanting Dr. Facilier in it becasue that's somehow problematic. They've had no problem using him in Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween parties. He's got a great song they could rework a couple of lyrics to that would work perfect for the final lift hill to fit with a new plot involving him, too.

I'm guessing this employee owned Whole Foods thing will tie more into the animated series and since the movie ended with him getting dragged to the "other side", he probably won't be making an appearance in any of that.

Hope I'm way off because I think the movie will have a lot more longevity than some animated series that'll get at max 3-4 seasons and then become dated, like they always do, vs. the movie which will remain timeless in its IP value to the company.

All they want to do is put a princess in the ride, Splash had no princess and that is not "Magic Kingdom", villians are unnecessary

 

[Buried20KLeague]

If this is true...

On the one hand, props for not making a book report ride, I guess, but on the other... Seriously?

Of all the attractions to give some sort of serious story beats of consequence to, ones with thrilling, one might say "death defying drops" would sure feel like a prime candidate.

I don't buy them not wanting Dr. Facilier in it becasue that's somehow problematic. They've had no problem using him in Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween parties. He's got a great song they could rework a couple of lyrics to that would work perfect for the final lift hill to fit with a new plot involving him, too.

I'm guessing this employee owned Whole Foods thing will tie more into the animated series and since the movie ended with him getting dragged to the "other side", he probably won't be making an appearance in any of that.

Although, he could always come back from the other side for revenge which would be a great way to put him in a direct to Disney+ sequel.

Okay, forget that crossed out part. No sequel because that's how Disney typically ruins good things but that could have been the plot of the ride and unlike say, Jafar, Dr. Facilier always struck me as a marketable villain people would actually enjoy seeing come back.

Hope I'm way off because I think something tied strongly to the movie with its own unique twist would have been a much better choice to make the attraction timeless that tying it to some animated series that'll get at max 3-4 seasons and then become dated, like they always do.

The only place he would fit would be the laughing place to the top of the hill.

Apparently artwork shows mama Odie’s bottles near the top of the hill. So he ain’t gonna be there.

Looks like it’s gonna be “yay, you found the plant! Now hurry to the restaurant to serve dinner to all the guests! And probably a couple left over America Sings animals!”

 

[MrPromey]

All they want to do is put a princess in the ride, Splash had no princess and that is not "Magic Kingdom", villians are unnecessary

Oh, I get it.

I'm just dreaming up how if they really wanted to make something timeless and interesting and fun, there were the bones of a story they could have gone with in the source material.

I have zero faith that's what we'll get, mostly because I think modern Imagineering is incapable of that and the company already has a less than stellar track record when it comes to theme overlays in general.

I'm not someone who will say they hate it out of spite and am open to being pleasantly surprised - I just don't expect to be.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

The only place he would fit would be the laughing place to the top of the hill.

Apparently artwork shows mama Odie’s bottles near the top of the hill. So he ain’t gonna be there.

Looks like it’s gonna be “yay, you found the plant! Now hurry to the restaurant to serve dinner to all the guests! And probably a couple left over America Sings animals!”

I guess it's plausible that the Laughing Place and lower half of the lift has some Friends on the Other Side stuff, and then Mama Odie shoo's them away when you reach the top. But I still don't think they'll bother even including any dark and scary elements in the ride at all...

 

[Kirby86]

So we have any idea what the budget for this is going to be? I'd hope it would be a healthy one however you never know anymore.

 

[MrPromey]

The only place he would fit would be the laughing place to the top of the hill.

Apparently artwork shows mama Odie’s bottles near the top of the hill. So he ain’t gonna be there.

Looks like it’s gonna be “yay, you found the plant! Now hurry to the restaurant to serve dinner to all the guests! And probably a couple left over America Sings animals!”

Friends on the other side playing with projections on the walls and some very, very basic optional - I wouldn't even call them animatronics leading up to the top (kind of recreating a little of the crazy effects of that scene) and a final moment with him right before the drop where he tries to send you to the other side could have been something amazing in a new storyline that has him coming back but ultimately being defeated and sent back to the other side, again himself in the last scene.

But yeah, I know we're not going to get that.

It sounds like we're getting a happy no-stakes story with a couple of terrifying drops thrown in since there's no way to remove those from the track layout.

 

[MrPromey]

I guess it's plausible that the Laughing Place and lower half of the lift has some Friends on the Other Side stuff, and then Mama Odie shoo's them away when you reach the top. But I still don't think they'll bother even including any dark and scary elements in the ride at all...

And of course, when you say "dark scary elements" they probably won't include we're talking relatively speaking, as in, not really "dark" for anyone who can handle the ride system this story is being told on.

Which, IMHO is a travesty - that's the one way I think this could have worked.

It sounds like they want to have their cake and eat it, too - create a mild fluff princess ride and stuff it into an existing thrill ride they want to change the theme of.

Even the little Mermaid got the Ursula scene, though, despite not being a ride with a five story drop built into it.

 

[monothingie]

So...
Apparently the creative team didn't like Tony's ideas, he got annoyed, so he's out.

I couldn’t imagine why he’d get upset and jump ship. All those nice lead “imagineers” on the boat seemed like they would be open to his creative ideas and decades of design expertise at WDI.

 

[LittleBuford]

So...
Apparently the creative team didn't like Tony's ideas, he got annoyed, so he's out.

I asked earlier but you didn’t respond. Is this based on actual information, or is it a joke that I’m somehow not getting? Perhaps someone else might answer if I’m missing something obvious.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I guess it's plausible that the Laughing Place and lower half of the lift has some Friends on the Other Side stuff, and then Mama Odie shoo's them away when you reach the top. But I still don't think they'll bother even including any dark and scary elements in the ride at all...

Me either. I don’t believe for a moment there will be any conflict in the ride at all.

My guess at the storyboard:

“Tiana wants to make a special dish! But she doesn’t have the magic ingredient!”

Tiana: I’m so busy I could use your help finding the last ingredient! You guys go get it and I’ll check on you a couple times over the next 4 minutes!”

“Come on, handful of America Sings animals! Let’s help her find it!”

<insert original song about the hunt and how much fun it is>

<run into a couple characters from the movie who join in on the hunt and give advice on where to look. One of them suggests asking mama Odie>

<another song>

<something projection mapped, because that has to be in everything now>

“Mama Odie is just up that hill!”

<gopher pops out still informing you where he went to college>

<climb the hill>

“Mama Odie had the plant!”

“Ya’ll better hurry and get the plant to Tiana! She’s waiting at the restaurant! Fastest way there is down this hill!”

“By the way, this is a salt mine for some reason!”

<splash>

<final scene where Tiana has the plant and is serving the dish to her guests and probably a couple America Sings animals>

And generations of children are protected from asking what movie zip a dee doo dah was from. Mission accomplished.

 

[MrPromey]

Me either. I don’t believe for a moment there will be any conflict in the ride at all.

My guess at the storyboard:

“Tiana wants to make a special dish! But she doesn’t have the magic ingredient!”

Tiana: I’m so busy I could use your help finding the last ingredient! You guys go get it and I’ll check on you a couple times over the next 4 minutes!”

“Come on, handful of America Sings animals! Let’s help her find it!”

<insert original song about the hunt and how much fun it is>

<run into a couple characters from the movie who join in on the hunt and give advice on where to look. One of them suggests asking mama Odie>

<another song>

<something projection mapped, because that has to be in everything now>

“Mama Odie is just up that hill!”

<gopher pops out still informing you where he went to college>

<climb the hill>

“Mama Odie had the plant!”

“Ya’ll better hurry and get the plant to Tiana! She’s waiting at the restaurant! Fastest way there is down this hill!”

“By the way, this is a salt mine for some reason!”

<splash>

<final scene where Tiana has the plant and is serving the dish to her guests and probably a couple America Sings animals>

And generations of children are protected from asking what movie zip a dee doo dah was from. Mission accomplished.

You guys keep mentioning the missing ingredient thing - is this a plot point they've publicly released that I've missed or more something that's being widely expected?

Completely honest question because if it was part of details I missed, I want to read up.

 

[Disney Analyst]

We all know the secret ingredient she needs for the party are the friends she’s inviting, including us!

 

[Trauma]

Me either. I don’t believe for a moment there will be any conflict in the ride at all.

My guess at the storyboard:

“Tiana wants to make a special dish! But she doesn’t have the magic ingredient!”

Tiana: I’m so busy I could use your help finding the last ingredient! You guys go get it and I’ll check on you a couple times over the next 4 minutes!”

“Come on, handful of America Sings animals! Let’s help her find it!”

<insert original song about the hunt and how much fun it is>

<run into a couple characters from the movie who join in on the hunt and give advice on where to look. One of them suggests asking mama Odie>

<another song>

<something projection mapped, because that has to be in everything now>

“Mama Odie is just up that hill!”

<gopher pops out still informing you where he went to college>

<climb the hill>

“Mama Odie had the plant!”

“Ya’ll better hurry and get the plant to Tiana! She’s waiting at the restaurant! Fastest way there is down this hill!”

“By the way, this is a salt mine for some reason!”

<splash>

<final scene where Tiana has the plant and is serving the dish to her guests and probably a couple America Sings animals>

And generations of children are protected from asking what movie zip a dee doo dah was from. Mission accomplished.

Thanks for the nightmares.

 

[MrPromey]

We all know the secret ingredient she needs for the party are the friends she’s inviting, including us!

This reminds me of the episode titled "Anthropology 101" (season 2, episode 1) from "Community" which guest starred Betty White.

Anyone who has seen the episode and knows how it ends will get where I'm going with that.

 

[EagleScout610]

The real secret ingredient are the friends we make along the way

 

[Kirby86]

We all know the secret ingredient she needs for the party are the friends she’s inviting, including us!

A family friendly adaptation of Sweeney Todd? But with Tiana that would be bold.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

You guys keep mentioning the missing ingredient thing - is this a plot point they've publicly released that I've missed or more something that's being widely expected?

Completely honest question because if it was part of details I missed, I want to read up.

There’s talk of a “missing ingredient” she needs. Along with a couple pics of a unique flower some are suspecting is the ingredient.

If they do the “missing ingredient was you the whole time!” thing, that would be even WORSE.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

The real secret ingredient are the friends we make along the way

I hope that’s not the deal.

 

[MrPromey]

...

If they do the “missing ingredient was you the whole time!” thing, that would be even WORSE.

The ghost of Betty White would have something to say about that!